Frederick Charles Cox was born in the Dorset village of Kington Magna in the spring of 1897. One of seven children, his parents were agricultural labourer William Cox and his wife, Kate.

When Frederick completed his schooling, he also found work as a farm labourer. However, when war broke out, he was keen to play his part, possibly having seen his older brother, William Jr, also join up.

Unlike his sibling, Frederick enlisted in the Dorsetshire Regiment. His service papers have been lost to time, but it is clear that he took the role of Private, and that he was assigned to the 1st/4th Battalion. His unit began the war in India, but had moved to Basra in February 1916, remaining in Mesopotamia for the remainder of the conflict.

Private Cox survived the war, and had returned home by the end of 1919. His time in the army would impact his health, however, and during the winter of 1919/20, he came down with malaria, a condition which would prove fatal. Frederick passed away in hospital in Shaftesbury, on 31st January 1920: he was 23 years of age.

The body of Frederick Charles Cox was taken back to Kington Magna for burial. He was laid to rest in All Saints’ Churchyard, close to his brother, who had died a few years before.

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Read more about Frederick’s brother William here.

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Kate had lost two adult sons in a matter of years, and her tragedy was not to end. William Sr passed away less than five weeks after Frederick. He was buried close to his sons.

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